functional_activation [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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### **Functional Activation**
Functional activation refers to the process by which **biological molecules, pathways, or regulatory elements** become **actively engaged** in their specific cellular functions. This concept applies broadly to different biological contexts, including **gene regulation, signaling pathways, and neuronal activation**.

## **Functional Activation in Gene Regulation**
In the context of the **regulome**, functional activation refers to the mechanisms that turn enhancers, promoters, or other regulatory elements **"on" or "off"**, leading to gene expression.

### **Key Aspects of Functional Activation in Gene Regulation**
1. **Enhancer Activation**  
   - **Transcription Factor (TF) Binding**: Enhancers are activated when TFs bind to specific DNA sequences, recruiting co-activators.  
   - **Histone Modifications**: Enhancer activation is marked by histone modifications like **H3K27ac (acetylation) and H3K4me1 (monomethylation)**.
   - **Chromatin Remodeling**: Open chromatin (measured by ATAC-seq or DNase-seq) allows access for transcriptional machinery.

2. **Promoter Activation**  
   - Promoters become **functionally active** when the **RNA polymerase II complex** assembles at the transcription start site (TSS).
   - Requires the presence of **enhancers, mediator complexes, and general TFs**.

3. **Super-Enhancer Activation**  
   - A **cluster of enhancers** that drive **high-level transcription** of genes involved in cell identity.
   - Activation is marked by **strong TF binding, high H3K27ac signals, and phase separation mechanisms**.

## **Functional Activation in Cell Signaling**
Functional activation also occurs in **signaling pathways**, where receptor binding triggers intracellular cascades leading to specific cellular outcomes.

### **Examples:**
- **MAPK Pathway Activation**  
  - Growth factor binds to receptor → **phosphorylation cascade** → transcriptional activation.
- **Immune Response Activation**  
  - T-cell receptor (TCR) activation → **cytokine production** → immune response.

## **Functional Activation in Neuroscience**
In **neuronal networks**, functional activation refers to **the firing of neurons** in response to stimuli.
- **Immediate Early Gene Activation** (e.g., **c-Fos, Arc**) is used as a marker of neuronal activity.
- **Functional MRI (fMRI)** detects regions of **brain activation** based on **oxygen consumption**.

### **Experimental Approaches to Study Functional Activation**
- **ATAC-seq / DNase-seq**: Identify active chromatin regions.
- **ChIP-seq**: Identify TF and histone modification marks.
- **Hi-C / 3C**: Detect enhancer-promoter interactions.
- **RNA-seq**: Measure gene expression changes after activation.